Packard.] ENTSECTS AS MIMICS. 
Bates says that a large number of the species of Heli¬ 
conidae “are accompanied in the districts they inhabit by 
other species which counterfeit them in the way described. 
The imitators belong to the following groups:—Papilio, 
Pieris, Euterpe, and Leptalis (family Papilionidae), Proto- 
gonius (Nymphalidae), Ithomeis, Erycinidae, Castnia (Cast- 
niadae), Dioptis, Pericopis, Hyelosia and other genera (Bom- 
bycidae moths). I conclude that the Heliconidae are the 
objects imitated , because they all have the same family facies, 
whilst the analogous species are dissimilar to their nearest 
allies—perverted, as it were, to produce the resemblance 
from the normal facies of the genus or family to which they 
severally belong. The resemblance is so close, that it is 
only after long practice that the true can be distinguished 
from the counterfeit, when on the wing in their native for¬ 
ests. I was never able to distinguish the Leptalides from 
the species they imitated, although they belong to a family 
totally different in structure and metamorphosis from the 
Heliconidae, without examining them closely after capture. 
They fly in the same parts of the forests, and generally in 
company with the species they mimic.” 
In the United States we have a similar example, the only 
one known in this country. The Danaits Disippus is one of 
our most common butterflies. It is closely copied by the 
Limenitis Arcliippus (Fig. 226, from Tenney’s Zoology), 
which is unlike in color every other known species of its 
genus. The Arcliippus enjoj^s immunity from the attacks 
of birds on account of its pungent odor, which is supposed 
to be disagreeable to them ; hence it is very abundant. The 
Disippus butterfly, on the other hand, which is inodorous, 
is supposed to be mistaken by the birds for the Archippus, 
and thus multiplies in as great numbers as the pattern it 
copies. Such are the opinions of these distinguished writers. 
It will be noticed that the Heliconidae are regarded by 
Mr. Bates, and in this respect Mr. Trimen agrees with him, 
19 1 \ 
